Sapphire (Fersman Museum of Moscow & Kay Robertson Coll.)

Item Description

A dramatically set 2.4 cm tabular sapphire crystal dominates this sculptural and rich corundum specimen from this less well-known Urals locality. The textbook hexagonal crystal has classic sapphire-blue color, high luster and moderate translucence. The feldspar matrix holds at least eight more striking, stacked, tabular crystals. The back has been sawed to enhance the display quality. RARE and very seldom on the market material with a fine provenance from the Kay Robertson Collection # 11938 and formerly in the Fersman Museum Collection in Moscow. Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record).